Adjustable support fixture



Jan. 20, 1959 s. R. DIPERT ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FIXTURE Filed Aug. 26. 1957 INVENTOR. STEVEN P. D/PEPT A TTORNEVS r llll-IIIIE United States Patent ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FIXTURE Steven R. Dipert, La Puente, Calif. Application August 26, 1957, Serial No. 680,168 2 Claims. (Cl. 33-180) The invention relates to adjustable support fixtures and more particularly to such fixtures used for locating trim strips.

In laying flexible floor coverings such as linoleum or vinyl plastics it is often desirable to curve the floor covering upward at the juncture of the floor and the Wall and cap the upward edge of the floor covering with a trim strip. A floor laid in this fashion is known as a coved floor. Obviously the appearance of the floor is enhanced if the trim strip runs parallel to the floor surface. Mounting the trim strip so that it is in a straight line across a wall becomes more difiicult as the wall width increases. Many different devices have been used to maintain a straight trim strip. conventionally the floor layers have cut wooden blocks which are spaced apart along the wall and the trim strip is positioned upon their tops. The lack of preciseness in cutting the blocks has led to dissatisfaction with this method.

I have invented a support fixture for the trim strip which is adjustable Within the vertical range normally encountered in coved flooring and which may be manufactured at a low cost because of its simplicity. The fixtures may be used in pairs or if the wall width justifies it, three or more fixtures may be used. The invention contemplates an adjustable support fixture for locating trim strips which comprises a base having a vertically curved side wall and from which a hollow post extends upwardly. The post is fixed to the base near the curving side wall and a gauge rod is slidably mounted in the post. Means such as a thumb screw are provided for fixing the gauge rod in the post at a chosen height. An upper arm slants outwardly and upwardly from the gauge rod. The arm has a substantially vertical blade portion at its uppermost end. A horizontal shelf on the blade portion near its juncture with the slanting part of the arm is adapted for registry with a lower edge of the trim strip. The fixture is readily adjustable and pairs may be matched for height by visual inspection. The base has sufficient mass to give stability to the fixture when supporting the trim strip.

These and other advantages of the invention are defined in the following detailed description and drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing a trim strip being supported by adjustable support fixtures; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Two side Walls 11 and 12 of a room having a subfioor 13 and a finish floor 14 are illustrated in Fig. 1. A portion of the floor is covered by a floor surfacing such as the linoleum sheet 15. One end 16 of the linoleum sheet is curved upwardly so that its edge 17 fits within a trim strip 18 fastened to wall 12. Similar strips 19, Zi extend across wall 11. As may be seen in Fig. 2, the conventional trim strip is a narrow channel having a long side 21 and a short side 22 joined by a web 23. The long side is customarily butted against the Wall with the web uppermost so that a downwardly opening channel 24 is defined by the sides. Long side depends below the channel affording access to a plurality of holes 26 in the side which receive fasteners to be driven into the wail. After the trim strip is mounted the linoleum is curved upwardly and inserted into the downwardly opening channel of the trim strip.

In the situation illustrated in Fig. l trim strip 118 is installed and the linoleum has been laid on the portion of the floor adjacent thereto and inserted the channels of trim strips l8, 19 in coved fashion. Trim strip segment 2t rests upon adjustable support fixtures 3d, 31. The support fixtures are adjusted to a common height, such height being identical to that at which trim strips 18, 19 were supported. The support fixtures are spaced apart a distance of from four to eight feet depending upon the length of strip being supported. This distance is represented in Fig. l by the dimension iine B. S" ee the fixtures are of a common height and rest upon the finish floor the trim strip supported thereon is parallel to the finish floor.

A preferred embodimentof the adjustable support fixture is illustrated in partial section in Fig. 2. In the figure trim strip Zfirests upon adjustable fixture 3G. The fixture comprises a base 33 having a front side wall 34 which is vertically curved to give clearance at the bottom of the base. A hollow post as extends upwardly from the base from an off-center location near the ve tally curving side Wall of the base. A bore 37 of the post receives a gauge rod 39. The gauge rod is secured at a desired height Within the post by a thumb screw 41 extending through a threaded hole 42 in the wall of. the post. The thumb screw bears against a flattened area is of the gauge rod.

from the upper end of the gauge rod. The arm is referably formed integrally with the gauge rod and is flat tened so that it has a width greater than the rod. The uppermost part of the arm has a blade portion 48 which is substantially vertical. The blade 1? rtion is further thinned so that a shelf 49 is formed e iding horizon tally across the upper arm next to the juncture of the blade portion with the arm. The thumb screw and the flattened area of the rod are located that the screw pressure against the flat orients the sl'ieif extent parallel to the front side wall of the base.

The configuration of the upper arm and its blade por tion is such that the entire upper arm and blade portion reside Within the vertical projection of the base boundaries. When the trim strip rests upon the fixture its weight does not affect the stability of the fixture since the downward weight resultant falls within the base boundaries. The vertically curving front side wall allows clearance of floor obstructions so that the ire may be located close to the wall so that the trim strip long side butts against the wall surface.

As shown in Fig. 2, the lower edge of side 22 of the trim strip rests upon shelf 49 of the upper arm blade. The corner formed by trim strip side and. web 23 rests against the uppermost edge of the blade. Thus the trim is supported at two points by the st port fixture.

In use, the adjustable fixtures are first set to the desired height and then placed in spaced relationship upon the floor next to the Wall to which the strip must be fastened. The strip is then placed in r try with e blade portion of the fixture and height of the strip is thereby established for its length b t can t... fixtures. Nails are driven through the holes side of the trim strip, securing the trim strip portion in the desired relationship to the finish floor. Then one or both of the fixtures is moved to the unsupported portion of the trim strip and that portion of the trim strip is secured to the wall.

The invention provides a device assuring precise installation of trim strips without the necessity of cutting support blocks for each separate job. The fixtures are versatile as to adjustment, simple to operate and economical to manufacture.

I claim:

1. An adjustable support fixture for locating channel shaped trim strips comprising a base having a vertically curving front side wall, a hollow post extending upwardly from the base from an oif-center location near the curved side wall, a gauge rod slidably mounted in the post, means for selectively fixing the gauge rod in the post, an upper arm slanting outwardly and upwardly from the gauge rod, a substantially vertical blade portion at the upper end of the arm adapted to extend into the channel of said trim strips, and a horizontal shelf on the blade portion near its juncture with the arm, the shelf being adapted for registry with a lower edge of the trim strip.

2. A height gauge for locating channel shaped trim strips upon a surface comprising a base having a vertically curved side wall, a hollow post extending upwardly from the base from an oflf-center location near the curved front side wall, a gauge rod slidably mounted in the post, means for selectively fixing the gauge rod in the post, an upper arm slanting upwardly from the gauge rod and outwardly in the direction of the curved side wall, a fiat index surface extending along the gauge rod and adapted to cooperate with the means for fixing the rod to maintain orientation of the upper arm with respect to the curved side wall, a substantially vertical blade portion at the upper end of the arm adapted to extend into the channel of said trim strips, and a horizontal shelf extending across the blade portion near its juncture with the arm, the shelf being adapted for registry with the edge of the trim strip remote from the surface to which the strip is to be attached.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 606,851 Ware July 5, 1898 2,168,505 Zenewich Aug. 8, 1939 2,232,824 Maher Feb. 25, 1941 

